Underneath
by DeenaTweety
Summary: Shino and Tenten are sent on an undercover rescue mission to the infamous red light district of Kurohara, but there's more to the mission than meets the eye. What secrets lie beneath the decadence of the wealthy town? The answer may change them forever. Romance, action, and intrigue await those who look underneath the underneath. shino/tenten-the rating is for adult themes!
1. Arrive

**A/N:**

So, yeah. I'm starting another one. I know I really shouldn't be, but… I couldn't keep this idea to myself! _Help Wanted_ WILL be getting updated eventually, I promise. :) That fic is almost finished anyway, so whatever, right? … Right?

**Please read the following:**

So I just want to make this clear right now: This story will be rated M because there are adult themes. However, I do like to keep things tasteful. There is an element of prostitution in this fic, and the things I write aren't meant to make light of the issues—it's just a thing that is happening. On the other hand, I'm not going to sugar-coat things that shouldn't be sugar-coated. If you don't want anything to do with it, that's completely understandable. :)

On a lighter note, this story isn't meant to address the weighty issues, because I don't feel like doing that right now. I'm not going to get too serious, because this is a romance/action type of thing. I just want to be entertained and write a fun story!

So please, please enjoy! And thanks so much for reading!

* * *

"What is your name?"

"Nanami."

"What is your real name?"

"Chikaho, no last name."

"What is your profession?"

"High-end call girl."

"Where are you from?"

"The Hiroshi Swamps, a little hamlet a few miles south of the Hidden Mist."

"Who were your parents?"

This question was met with a groan. "Can't we just take a break already? I know who I am!" Tenten was on the verge of attacking her mission leader. Shino didn't even have the decency to look sorry—he just looked irritated.

"You must know every detail of this person's life. Why? Because if you don't you will not be effective undercover."

"You're acting like I've never been undercover before," Tenten said, an edge in her voice. It was taking a great deal of effort not to pummel the Aburame. She was an expert at staying calm in the face of incredibly exasperating people (Lee, Neji, and Gai-sensei had made sure of that), but Shino Aburame was on a whole other level.

"This is an important mission."

"I'm aware," she said, trying to sound as calm and diplomatic as possible. "I've already gone over this in my head countless times, though. Saying it out loud a thousand times isn't going to help me memorize it _more_—it's going to annoy me and make me nervous," she explained calmly.

Shino sat quietly from that moment on.

Tenten had been on missions with him before, but it had never been just the two of them. When she'd first learned that she'd been assigned to work undercover with him, she'd actually been excited. She respected Shino Aburame; he was professional, quiet, hard-working, and she'd never actually had the opportunity to get to know him one-on-one. She admired him professionally, and she was truly glad to work with someone a little more… subtle. Although she had a deep love for her teammates, it was nice change things up every once in a while.

It wasn't long before she realized that Shino was exasperating in his own special way.

He was professional, yes… but he didn't seem to have any interest in small talk or conversation, even while they were travelling and needed to pass the time. He was obsessive about their cover stories, which was fine until he'd drilled her for the millionth time. He was acting as if she'd never even been on a mission before, and it made her feel like he thought less of her than she did of him. She wondered if he really thought her too foolish to remember her cover story.

Shino couldn't help but question his current teammate's impatience. He was genuinely trying to ensure the success of their mission by constantly testing her—a lot was riding on them at the moment. Perhaps it was too much pressure, he thought. After she'd snapped at him he'd chosen to stay silent.

He adjusted his sunglasses. He felt nearly naked without his large collar, but he was fortunate to be able to keep his eyewear. Tenten seemed to have made the most changes since the beginning of their trip. Over the few days they'd travelled on foot, and she'd worn her usual practical clothing and had kept her hair in the odango style like she always had. But when they'd gone officially undercover, she'd had to wear soft, silky kimonos and keep her hair in a low updo so she wouldn't be recognized. He imagined that she had weapons hidden in her clothing, but not nearly as many as usual. He wondered if she felt exposed as well.

Shino sighed and adjusted his glasses again. It was a nervous habit, a sign of stress. And he _was_ stressed. The mission ahead would not be easy.

Another team of ninja from the Sand had already been this way. They were after information about one of the men who ran the brothels. Rumors were that a missing-nin from the Hidden Sand was working for one of the bosses, and they'd wanted to take him back to their village dead or alive. Confirmation had come that they'd made it to Kurohara, but after that the Hidden Sand hadn't received any information.

They'd sent two jounin and one high-level chunin, and none of them had been heard from for two months.

That was when the Sand village had turned to their allies in Konoha, worried that their shinobi had been discovered and captured. And since Naruto (who just happened to be hokage) just couldn't resist doing favors for his old friend Gaara, he'd been all too eager to assign two of his own to the mission.

The situation required a delicate hand, so naturally Shino had been chosen as mission leader. He was a commodity for his intelligence-gathering kikkai and his subtle nature. And then there was Tenten, who had been on several successful undercover missions.

Shino admired Tenten. She was overshadowed by her two teammates, but she was obviously talented. She, unlike her teammates, was okay without being in the spotlight, and he liked that. There were too many shinobi who wanted to be the center of attention. She was intelligent, smart, and assertive. If Shino was the type of person to care about looks, he would also have said that her plainness made her refreshingly ordinary. She was earnestly pretty in a kimono, but not so beautiful that she would have turned heads. She was perfect undercover.

They had travelled on foot for three days until they reached a large village. There, they began the act: he was Souza Nakamura, a suave young man who liked women. She was Nanami, a pretty young call girl (Shino and Tenten both liked to stay away from the word 'prostitute') who was very popular in the brothel she worked in.

As Nanami and Souza, they boarded a small but cozy carriage and set a quick pace for where they were headed—another big village in the mountains called Kurohara.

Their story was that he was a playboy noble who'd grown fond of her and offered to take her to the infamous Kurohara red light district, where they would engage in all kinds of debauchery—while in reality they would be scoping out the management and searching for the missing team.

So there they sat, going on four days of travelling in close quarters on the bumpy road to Kurohara Mountain. Shino was perfectly content to stay in his head, preparing their identities, planning. But he could see that his partner was getting restless.

Shino sighed softly. He imagined that she wasn't too thrilled about getting stuck with him, of all people. _The creepy bug-boy._

"Sorry for snapping at you," her voice nearly startled him after the stretch of silence. He looked up to see that she was waving her ornate fan at her face to cool off and smiling tiredly. "I guess I'm getting restless."

"I understand," he replied.

"We're far from home," she sighed. She leaned back and studied his face—without his collar she had thought it would be easier to figure him out. But he kept his face stoic and his sunglasses on. She could admire his well-sculpted cheekbones all she wanted, but it still seemed that the mystery that was Shino Aburame would never be solved. "Tell me a little about Kurohara. What am I facing here?"

"We will be staying in the very center of town at Kurohara's most popular resort," he said, feeling a little uneasy at the thought. It was a high-end brothel. There would be the ideal place to see the comings and goings of the people who worked in the red-light district. "We'll be looking out for the Sand's shinobi. They were supposed to be deep undercover as entertainers, but they haven't been heard from in two months. We need to find them and extract them as quietly as possible."

"What if they aren't there?"

"Then we'll take our leave quietly," he said. "Perhaps we'll be able to use these covers for something useful another day. This is a popular place for missing-nin."

"I wonder why," Tenten said with a smirk. Shino didn't laugh at her wry joke but that didn't surprise her anymore. "So, 'Nakamura-san,' will you and I be sharing quarters, or will we have our own rooms?"

"We will share a room," Shino said stoically, feeling incredibly sleazy. "Since you'll be my… guest, we'll be spending a lot of time together."

Tenten almost laughed at the light blush that was creeping up Shino's neck. "I understand," she said with a grin, wondering if he missed his overcoat. "I do have a question, though, Shino-san," she said, suddenly very serious. "What if we find their missing-nin?"

"That is not our mission," Shino said sternly. "We are here strictly to find their missing team. If we find their criminal we will send intelligence."

Tenten nodded but Shino knew that she was not in agreement with him. She'd mentioned earlier in their trip that she didn't see why they couldn't just 'take him out' themselves if they found him, but he had insisted (as mission leader) that they were to stick to the terms of their original mission. To her credit, she hadn't said anything about it to him after that, but he knew what she was thinking—he knew the look from Kiba, his insubordinate teammate.

"Whatever you say," she said, her tone neutral. "Although I feel like I should point out that you and I are more than enough to take him."

"We still don't know how the team before us got lost," he said, once again adjusting his glasses. "I'm not willing to take that risk when we're so far from Konoha with no back-up."

"You're the boss," she said with a nod.

They both jerked upright when the carriage suddenly stopped moving. "We must be here," Shino observed. The door to the coach opened, letting in light from the setting sun. A man dressed in a simple, dark yukata greeted them with a polite bow. They had reached their destination—they were right in the middle of Kurohara's red light district. The village was large and its lights were bright—a beacon of warmth in the cooling night. The sounds of people hustling up and down the streets and vendors calling out to potential customers surrounded them. It was much bigger than Konoha.

Shino climbed gracefully out of the coach, as if he hadn't been travelling for four days.

"You travel quickly," said the black-haired servant. "You can call me Kato; I'll be your attendant, Nakamura-san."

"We were eager to arrive," Shino said with a matching bow. "I've brought a friend."

That was her cue. Tenten climbed as gracefully as she could out of the coach she had been confined in for days. She was surprised to see that Shino had extended his hand for her to help her down. She accepted it and landed lightly on the ground.

"Thank you, Nakamura-san," she said in her gentlest voice.

"Nanami-san, you must be exhausted from your journey," Kato said with smile that nauseated the brunette. She looked at Shino, who gave her a slight nod.

"I'll be alright," she said meekly, letting her true fatigue show. She gave a respectful, low bow to the attendant. "I'm thankful to have a bed tonight, I must admit."

"She thinks my pace was cruel," Shino said lightly—so lightly that Tenten was surprised. They were undercover, but it was still strange to witness Shino in his character. "But we were eager to arrive, weren't we?" He gave her what she supposed would be as sleazy of a look that an Aburame could give.

Tenten gave an embarrassed laugh and covered her mouth. "Nakamura-san, you're teasing me again." Shino gave her a kind smile—yet another out-of-character gesture. It would be strange to go undercover with someone who was normally so quiet and thoughtful.

Kato gave a long-suffering smile and gestured toward the large hotel that stood in front of them. "If you'll allow me, I will show you to your room." There were already people unloading their bags for them and carrying them into the hotel; a nerve-wracking situation for two undercover shinobi. Thankfully, everything was carefully packed so that no errant weapons would fall out on unsuspecting employees.

They followed the attendant into the large, ornate hotel. It was a luxurious place to be sure, and Tenten briefly wondered how their stay was being funded. They walked through the doors, passing professionals and patrons alike on their journey to their room.

The inside of the hotel was enormous. The lobby was a wide, open space, with strung lights and lanterns hanging from the ceiling to create a frivolous and festive mood. Rich, dark colors seemed to be the theme—midnight purples and dark blues painted the walls. People were everywhere, coming and going, chattering and laughing. It was busy and cheerful and overwhelming.

Their room was right up the stairs on the second and top floor of the building. Shino was listening to Kato, their attendant, carefully as they walked.

"There are only two floors, but this is the largest place in our little town," Kato explained cheerfully. "We have two buildings: the one we're in now and the bathhouse. On the south end of the building there's a large garden that many of our guests like to enjoy. Your room has a balcony that overlooks it."

"How lucky," Tenten gushed, the perfect picture of an excited country-bumpkin.

"Yes, indeed," agreed Kato, stopping in front of the door and offering the keys to Shino and Tenten. "It's a small but coveted room. I hope that you will enjoy your stay. There are plenty of things to do in Kurohara, and if you need any help or advice I hope you'll call for me."

"Thank you, we'll be sure to remember," Shino said politely, subtly guiding Tenten inside by placing his hand on the small of her back.

"Yes, thank you, Kato-san," Tenten added airily as she floated inside. They kept smiles pasted on their faces until they were completely inside of their room. A moment of silence passed before she whispered: "Is he gone?"

In reply, Shino called on one of his bugs and instructed it to check outside. After a moment, "It appears that no one is outside our door." They took a moment to inspect their luggage, which was placed neatly in the corner of the room by the service, and only relaxed when they found that nothing had been tampered with.

She let out a big huff of air. "This may be the swankiest place I've ever been to," she said, letting herself fall onto the large canopy bed. "I'm shocked that's it's in the red light district."

Shino stationed a few kikkai outside the door and at the balcony before replying. "It's a discreet place for the wealthy." He busied himself by taking his sleeping bag out and spreading it out beside the bed. "Tonight we will get some rest. Tomorrow we'll wake up and socialize."

"Uh-huh. Shino-san, you don't have to sleep down there. This bed is enormous," she said with a frown. If the bed had been smaller, she wouldn't have said anything. She knew that men liked to take the floor when there was only one bed out of some weird sense of pride, so she usually let it slide without saying anything. But the bed she was sitting on was so huge that it felt almost redundant to have him sleep on the floor. She didn't mind; she knew that there was no way he'd try to pull a move.

"I'll take the floor. Why? Because it would be indecent for me to share the bed with you."

Tenten scoffed. "C'mon, this bed has to be at least a king-size. We're both adults, aren't we? I share with my teammates all the time."

"I must insist," he said stiffly, and he looked so uncomfortable that she decided not to push the matter any further.

"You're in charge," she muttered. She supposed that it would be nice to have all that space for herself after spending four days cramped up in a coach.

It wasn't long before she was snoozing, letting the feeling of the warm bed envelope her and draw her into darkness.

* * *

**A/N:**

So, this story is an attempt at the "undercover couple" theme I see all the time. I really love the idea, but I thought I'd spice it up. Instead of being married/boyfriend-girlfriend/engaged, I thought I'd make it real sleazy and make them call girl/client. What do you all think?

I truly hope you all enjoy this story! I am putting a lot of thought into this one, so hopefully it will turn out as good as I want it to. The Shino/Tenten ship has a really special place in my heart and I want to do it justice! This is going to (hopefully) be a pretty interesting story with lots of romance, action, and intrigue. So buckle up!

I'll be writing and updating even if there aren't many reviews, although I'm not gonna lie, I would absolutely adore some feedback! I have this story pretty much figured out but as usual, I am totally open to suggestions. ;) Longer chapters are coming!


	2. Observe

**A/N:**

Here's chapter 2! Please enjoy!

* * *

The next day, Tenten woke up in the late morning. She was embarrassed to find that Shino was already awake and ready to go, dressed in a dark blue yukata and sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. He seemed to be meditating.

"I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner," she said, her voice tired and drowsy. He looked up slowly, adjusting his dark glasses. She wondered how he could even see, wearing sunglasses in such a dark room.

"It is no problem. I am an early riser, and I thought it best to let you sleep longer."

"Oh." She still felt guilty, but there wasn't much to do besides move on and try to have a productive day. She sat up and stretched out, realizing that she had fallen asleep in the clothes she'd worn the day previous. It seemed that she really had been wiped out from their long journey. She groaned, feeling gross, and made her way to her luggage, to rummage through it and find something to wear.

She eventually settled on a simple teal-colored kimono and a dark green ribbon. She padded into the bathroom to wash her face and change.

Shino closed his eyes once again, continuing to meditate, feeling his bugs quietly pulse underneath his skin. Truthfully, he hadn't seen the point in waking her up. Most of the people of Kurohara, especially those who spent time at the Main Inn, were late-risers, choosing to stay up all night to drink and engage in all types of depravity. If he and Tenten had awoken early to scout the place, they may have drawn unnecessary attention to themselves.

He heard the water shut off in the bathroom, and the sound of Tenten tinkering around and getting ready.

"Ah, Shino-san?" She paced back out into the room, holding her half-tied obi behind her back. "Sorry to ask you again. Could you help me tie this?"

"Of course."

He made quick work of her ribbon, making sure not to tie it too loose or too tight. She was holding her hair out of the way to avoid letting it get caught up in the knot.

"There," he said, stepping back to inspect his work.

"Thanks! I can tie the knot, it's just a little hard to do it on myself."

"It is no trouble, but you must learn how to tie it on yourself in case I'm not here to help you."

She felt a little miffed at that statement, but she knew he wasn't being malicious. It wouldn't help anyone to dwell on the actions of her socially awkward mission leader, anyway. They had a job to do. She went back into the bathroom to find pins for her hair.

Shino sat back down in his chair, thinking. It had been obvious to him since the beginning of this mission that Tenten was clueless when it came to dressing up. It wasn't that she had a terrible sense of style, but she didn't have the know-how for traditional clothing. There had been several instances when it had been necessary to give her advice on how to tie an obi correctly, or let her know that her hair was falling out of its updo. It seemed that the only style she knew was her own, like no one had ever taught her how to do her hair in anything other than twin buns, or dress in traditional clothing. He wondered why that was, but he wasn't Kiba—he knew better than to ask a girl why she didn't know how to dress.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked.

"Today we observe. First, we'll eat breakfast together downstairs in the hotel restaurant. Then you will scout the hotel and make note of convenient escape routes, weak points, and suspicious areas. That includes the bathhouse." He could see her eyes light up at that suggestion. He continued, "I'll go outside and scout the district to see if there is anywhere that looks suspicious. However, I suspect that any clues to be found will be here."

"Sure thing," she said with a nod, finishing her hair and smoothing out her kimono. "I'll be able to draw a map for you by the end of the day. I'll talk to some of the staff, too."

Shino opened the door of their room, ready to assume the identity of Souza Nakamura. "Shall we go downstairs for breakfast, Nanami?" he asked, letting her lead the way out the door.

"Of course, thank you, Nakamura-san," she said with a smile. They walked side-by-side, searching for the hotel café and carefully observing their surroundings. The hotel was much different in the daytime. There were very few people around, most guests chose to sleep the day away. Anyone who was awake was probably among the hotel's staff, preparing for the afternoon and evening.

As they walked, he felt Tenten slip her arm into his and he nearly jerked in surprise. His kikkai certainly did, buzzing under his skin and sending him dizzying signals. They weren't used to people touching him so casually, although it really was only natural that two lovers would walk together like this.

He looked down on her, feeling a familiar sickening fear that he'd had as a child: what if she was disgusted by him? He had no doubt that she could feel the insects bustling right underneath his skin, but her face showed no sign of revulsion.

She was either very professional, or too polite to say anything. Perhaps she was both.

* * *

After a substantial breakfast, Shino left her to her own devices. He planned on taking a few hours to explore the area around the hotel, although he doubted there would be anything of use to the mission around town. It would mostly serve to give his partner time to herself; she was probably itching to get away from him after being in such close quarters for over a week.

He found himself outside in the hot sunlight. There weren't many people out even though it was early in the afternoon. Shino silently commanded his bugs to investigate the area discreetly as he wandered throughout the market nearby.

Kurohara was a place like Shino had never seen. On one side of the street there could be a normal farmer's market, and on the other side there would be a brothel where the girls were standing out on the porch and calling him over. It was a place where public drunkenness was nothing out of the ordinary, where promiscuity was expected and encouraged. He knew that prostitution was a thing that happened, but he'd never been so boldly faced with it.

He made note of where the red light district began and ended. He pondered possible escape routes from the village in case he and Tenten ever ran into trouble and had to flee, and was somewhat troubled to discover that the only safe way to go was by coach. They would have to be careful—if they blew their covers, it wouldn't be impossible to navigate the mountain trails by foot, but it would be exceedingly difficult.

After a few hours, Shino began to notice more people milling around. The inhabitants of Kurohara were mostly awake now. He sat on a bench and people-watched for a while.

Many of the women he saw were dressed in fine silks and satins, with jewelry and hair ornaments to accessorize their forms. Heavy make-up caked their faces, covering up a more natural beauty that was surely lurking underneath.

The men seemed to enjoy them, though. Gentleman from all walks of life strolled up and down the streets, entering and exiting brothels, buying food and booze and flirting with the women-for-hire.

"Are you waiting for someone, darling?" a smooth voice jolted him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see one of the painted women sitting next to him on the bench.

"I'm afraid not," he said easily, examining her face as he spoke. She was dressed in a pink kimono with red flowers decorating the material. Her neckline dipped very low and her leg peeked ever-so-slightly through the slit in her dress. Her black hair was long and hung past her elbows, and her lips were painted a bright red.

"Just waiting to see where the night takes you, hm?" she sighed with an easy smile. "My name is Suki. I think I saw you last night with a lovely foreigner. Are you staying at the Main Inn?"

"Why do you ask?" he evaded, making sure to give her a smirk that he had learned from Kiba. She mirrored his grin.

"I noticed the two of you instantly," she said, snaking an arm around his elbow and getting close. Shino willed his kikkai still with all his might. "At first I thought, 'why would a man wear those sunglasses inside?' But then I noticed your companion."

"And what did you notice?" he asked, keeping his tone light but becoming increasingly suspicious.

"How pretty she was." That statement was so far from what he'd expected that he almost let his kikkai move under her touch. She continued, "Tanned skin, dark hair. I would have come over to you if I hadn't been so busy," she rubbed his arm lightly with a delicate hand. "I thought that the three of us could get together sometime and see where the night takes us." This last part was said lowly, close to his ear.

"Your offer is very tempting," he replied coolly. "But I'm afraid that Nanami-chan is taking up most of my money on this particular trip."

"Do you mean she isn't your girlfriend?" Suki asked with surprise, withdrawing her hand. Shino relaxed the hold on his bugs and they buzzed angrily for being repressed.

"She's an acquaintance I picked up on my way here," he said, "I hadn't planned on taking her with me, but I suppose she caught my eye."

"How romantic," Suki said, leaning her head on her hand. He breathed a sigh of relief; she seemed to believe the story. "It's a shame, though. I would have loved to get to know the two of you better." She stood and gracefully smoothed her kimono, seeming distracted by something, or someone, across the street. "I have to get going. But I suppose I'll be seeing you and your Nanami-san tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Oh, of course, you just arrived. Tonight there'll be a feast for the guests in honor of our mountain spirits."

"I didn't know Kurohara had mountain spirits," Shino said with a raised eyebrow.

"We don't," Suki laughed with a careless wave of her hand. "We here in Kurohara will find any excuse to party."

"I'll look forward to it," he said with a nod. She grinned and waved him goodbye.

He watched her discreetly as she made her way across the street to a man that had been waving her down. He didn't look like a potential customer… perhaps a fellow employee at the Main Inn? He looked like he'd been running to find her, and before he signaled for her to follow him, he took a glance at Shino.

The bug-user narrowed his eyes. Something told him that whatever had happened to the missing team from Suna, it had to do with the Main Inn.

* * *

Tenten sighed as she sunk into the hot water in the bathhouse, thankful that there had been separate sections for men and women. She knew that that was normal in most establishments, but she'd never been to a brothel. How could _she _know what was normal in these kinds of places?

She'd spent most of the day exploring the Inn. She'd made a map in her mind and memorized it, and she planned on drawing one for Shino when she caught up with him later. There were a few places in the main building that she thought looked a little shady, but she hadn't opened every door. There were too many, and she'd been wary of walking in on something she didn't feel like seeing.

From what she could gather, most of the people who stayed here were either brothel workers or maids. There was the odd man or two, but most of the staff consisted of women. That fact didn't surprise her.

What did surprise her, however, was how very busy everyone was. It seemed like all the employees were working on full-steam. Tenten knew that the Main Inn probably didn't have very many slow moments, but everyone seemed so… rushed. Housekeeping cleaned at an impressive pace, rarely taking breaks or even talking to each other.

When Tenten had asked for directions to the bathhouse, the workers had sounded hurried and out of breath, almost devoid of the politeness and professionalism of most hotel concierges. She'd tried to strike up friendly conversation with the other people of the hotel, hoping to get some clues about how the people of Kurohara lived, but she'd had no luck.

"Nanami-san, would you like more hot towels?" The girl who was attending the women's side of the bathhouse interrupted Tenten's thoughts.

"I'm alright," she replied, looking up and turning so that her arms were out of the water.

"Alright, let me know if you need anything," the attendant said cheerfully, turning to leave.

"Actually, could you wait a second?" Tenten asked, her voice taking on a sweet tone. "Maybe I _would _like a hot towel, if you don't mind." The girl picked a steaming towel out of a basket and handed it to her.

"Is that all?" the younger girl asked, looking nervously for another patron who might need her help. The bathhouse was mostly empty but for Tenten and a scattering of relaxing women.

Tenten smiled up at her. "That's all I needed, Miss… what was your name?"

The girl looked shocked that anyone was paying attention to her, let alone asking her name. "I-it's Akane," she stammered.

"Thank you so much, Akane-san," Tenten said with a friendly smile, putting the other girl at ease. "Everyone here has been so busy, you know? It's just so nice when someone can stop and talk to you." Akane's face softened.

"Are you from the country?" she asked, relaxing her shoulders and setting down her basket of hot towels.

"How did you know?" the brunette asked, happy to finally snag someone into talking to her, even if it was for a few short moments.

"I'm from the country, too. It was hard for me to adjust to how fast-paced everything is in the city," she admitted.

"Where are you from?" Tenten asked, her voice softening so Akane would feel more comfortable.

"A tiny village not too far from these mountains. Just a little place no one's ever heard of," the other girl replied with a wave of her hand.

"What brought you here to Kurohara?"

"Just the excitement of the city, I guess," she said with a blush. "How about you, Nanami-san?"

"I'm from the Hiroshi Swamps," Tenten lied easily. "This trip was actually so spur-of-the-moment… my Nakamura-san whisked me away, in a sense."

"So you really are from Hiroshi?" Akane asked with interest, leaning toward Tenten conspiratorially. "Because we heard… well, in the dorms there was a rumor. Kano-sama told us that there was a man named Souza Nakamura who was bringing…" The girl blushed, like she'd said too much already.

"Don't worry, Akane-chan, it's true," Tenten laughed. "Nakamura-san came to visit our brothel in Hiroshi. We spent some time together and he decided to bring me along to Kurohara with him."

Akane's eyes went wide. "So it's true? Some of us thought there was no way... You must be pretty important there, to be allowed to go wherever you want…"

"Akane!" another female voice sounded through the bathhouse. Akane jumped straight up and grabbed her basket.

"Sorry!" she apologized with a bow.

"Are you bothering her?" An authoritative-looking woman appeared, holding her own basket of hot towels. She didn't look happy.

"Oh, no, she's fine," Tenten said quickly, not wanting Akane to get into trouble. "I was asking her about the hotel."

"Alright," the woman said, not sounding convinced.

"Sorry for bothering you, Nanami-san," Akane said again, hurrying away to greet her superior. If Tenten hadn't had the sensitive ears of a shinobi, she may not have heard what the unhappy woman was muttering to Akane: "Are you stupid? If Jin-sama caught you slacking off like that, we'd all get punished!"

Tenten sunk into the warm water once again, committing that name to her memory. _Jin. _Perhaps the boss of the bathhouse? The owner of the brothel? Whoever he was, the workers didn't like him.

However the workers felt about their boss, Tenten could now be sure of one thing. Rumors spread fast in the hotel, just like they did in any workplace. The idea of a rich playboy bringing a working girl along with him to a brothel was interesting to Kano, the attendant that had met them when they'd first arrived in the city. So naturally, he told the girls who worked there the story to scandalize them. They'd have to keep an extra-low profile to avoid being gossiped about by workers.

She spent a few more moments in the hot water before growing restless. She scrubbed her skin and washed her hair before stepping out of the large bath and wrapping a robe around her body. More and more women were starting to come into the bathhouse, and even though they all shared the same parts Tenten didn't feel like sticking around. She tousled her hair with a towel to dry it off a little before stepping out of the bathhouse to find her way back to the room she shared with Shino. Hopefully he'd be a little while longer so she'd have time to get dressed…

She was lost in her thoughts as she walked back to the room, but not so lost that she didn't notice movement at her side. There was a man stopped in a connecting hallway, as if he was waiting for her to pass before moving along to their destination.

"Excuse me," she said with a short bow, determined to continue on her way. She was stopped, though, by the look on his face. For a moment his eyes glanced over her robe-clad body, only looking surprised for a moment before his face fell back into a controlled, stoic expression.

He was tall, and dressed in fine, dark green silk. He had straight, neat, black hair that was tied in a short ponytail and wore thin glasses that rested just on the bridge of his nose. He continued to stare at her and she pulled her robe a little tighter around her chest in discomfort. Seeing this, his eyes settled on her face.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" His voice was deep and smooth, his rigid posture as stiff and stoic as Neji's.

"Yes," she answered, holding her clothes close to her body. "Thank you."

"If you need anything, be sure to ask."

"O-okay…" she replied nervously. She took one last glance at him before continuing to the room, feeling his eyes trace her until she turned the corner and escaped his line of sight.

She continued walking, although she was suddenly feeling anxious. _Who was that guy? _she wondered, picking up a faster pace. She swung the room door open, almost jumping when she saw Shino sitting on the bed.

* * *

Shino had just sat down on the bed when the door practically slammed open. In came his partner in all her glory, covered only by a loose-fitting robe that barely reached her knees. Her hair was wet and her face was flushed like she'd been running. He averted his eyes before her robe opened up too far for decency. His bugs shuddered almost violently and he was almost tempted to suppress them again for their unruliness.

She was careful to shut the door slowly, so it wouldn't make too much noise, and she tightened her robe. She nodded toward him in greeting and slipped into the bathroom to change her clothes.

It wasn't long before she reemerged from the washroom fully clothed and getting ready to go.

She was brushing her hair out with her fingers, using something that smelled sweet to detangle it. He was almost mesmerized for a second. Rarely was he privy to the beauty routines of women—his clan was notorious for being reserved and discreet, and that especially applied to the women. One of the very relevant females in his life, Hinata, was very private as well, and on overnight missions he and Kiba almost never saw her right after she'd bathed (not for lack of trying on the Inuzuka's part). The same went for Kurenai-sensei.

He'd noticed that Tenten wasn't as careful about these kinds of things as other girls he knew. She certainly wasn't overly immodest… she was just comfortable. Perhaps being on Team Gai had done away with any awkwardness or bashfulness she may have had. She had mentioned that she'd even slept in the same bed as her teammates. Perhaps her old team had achieved a level of physical comfort with one another that Shino couldn't imagine—he'd never dream of sleeping next to anyone, especially when he knew that most people were creeped out by his always-shifting bugs.

"How was town?" she asked, pulling him away from him distracting thoughts.

He told her about the lack of convenient escape routes and the general outline of the town square that the Main Inn sat in the center of. She took out a notepad and a pen and listened to him as she drew a map of the Inn.

"I also met a woman who works here," he said, watching as she drew her blueprint.

"Outside?"

"She was… looking for customers."

"Ah."

"She said that there's a feast tonight for the guests of the Inn. I think it would be prudent to attend."

"Feast? You don't have to tell me twice," she joked. She wasn't surprised when he didn't laugh at her joke. She was getting used to the seriousness, even if he had a worse sense of humor than Neji Hyuga.

He was all business. "It's important to go to this feast. Why? Because we can meet and mingle. Perhaps we'll find some information about the staff."

Tenten raised her eyebrow at the word 'mingle', but she didn't say anything about how absurd it sounded coming out of his mouth. She simply nodded in agreement. "Here's the map," she said, changing the subject and handing him her picture. "There's the main building, and there's the bathhouse. To be honest, there were a few places I couldn't go. But I do think there would be room somewhere here for a missing team."

Shino nodded as he looked over her map. It indicated weak spots, escape routes, suspicious areas… it was impressive. "Did you find anything else?" he asked.

"The employees probably aren't happy, no surprise there," she said, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "They have a boss named Jin who's pretty hard on them. I don't know if that means anything, but that's all I gathered."

"Jin," Shino repeated, not sure if the information was useful, but still glad to have it.

"Also… I think the guy who met us last night told the staff about us. Kano was him name. I know that's nothing out of the ordinary, but the workers here do gossip, if that's any more motivation to keep a low profile."

Shino thought of the woman he'd met earlier that say, Suki. The thought _had_ crossed his mind that she had approached him on purpose to scope him out. He suspected this even more so now, knowing that the employees here knew and talked about them. He adjusted his glasses and stood, immersed now in his own deep thought. It was too early to tell whether this gossip was harmless or something more threatening.

"We'll have to be careful, now," he said after a moment. "There's a chance we're being watched." He saw her tense from the corner of his eye at that statement.

"Alright," she said. "I don't have any problems. Are you good, mission-leader?"

He gave her a terse nod. "Yes. Are you ready for a feast?"

"Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:**

Okay so what do you all think? I've been working hard on this because it's actually the only story I'm feeling inspired about right now. Hahaha. I'm just so tired that all my other fics are on the backburner. I am just kind of blowing off some steam here.

I hope everything makes sense so far and that you are all enjoying this story! I just cannot wait to get to the nitty-gritty parts of this fic. 8) There is so much more to come!

I hope no one feels like they are OOC. I'm trying my best to keep them in character, but they are undercover, so there will be moments when they are not themselves (because they are pretending to be other people).

So here is my train of thought… I am trying to build a relationship with Shino and Tenten from the ground up. I'm exploring their personalities (Shino's especially, in this chapter) and just trying to figure out their stories, which is I think is important for romance. At the same time, there is some shady stuff going on. What is up with the employees? Who is this Jin guy? Why was that man staring at Tenten (besides the fact that she's a total babe)? What's going to happen at the feast?

Stay tuned to find out! Things will get hot in no time! ;)


	3. Eat

**A/N:**

First I would just like to say… thanks so much to everyone who left wonderful reviews! I am so glad that people are enjoying this fic. It really inspires me to keep truckin' on.

I'm working extra-hard to write you something good! If updates are taking a long time it's because this story undergoes an insane amount of editing. Editing equals self hate, in case you didn't know. :P

I was a little worried about the story moving too slow… but on the other hand, romance isn't instant. Please be patient with me. :)

* * *

Whenever she heard the word 'feast', Tenten usually thought about an all-you-can-eat buffet or a barbeque with friends. But this… this was unlike any feast she'd ever attended.

The large dining hall was occupied with an impossible amount of people. The sounds of talking and drinking and laughter were almost overwhelming and oh, the food… the smell of the rich food made her stomach growl. She and Shino had only eaten sensible rations since the beginning of their mission and the thought of a real meal made her mouth water.

It was getting darker outside and people were starting to pour in from the street. Just how big was this party going to be, anyway? There were people here that were definitely not guests of the hotel. Tenten looked around, observing and cataloguing the sites surrounding her as she followed Shino down the stairs and into the dining area.

After some searching, they finally found enough space for the two of them to sit together at one of the long, wooden dining tables. Shino felt somewhat claustrophobic, being unused to such large (and inebriated) crowds. There were people clamoring all around them, drinking and messing around… it would have been enough to make him sick, if he hadn't been focused on the mission.

"Ooh, Nakamura-san," Tenten, or rather, Nanami, cooed, leaning on his arm and looking up at him with affection in her eyes. "Doesn't the food smell good? What is this feast for, anyway?"

"Is this you folks' first time visiting?" someone's voice cut in before Shino could answer her.

"It is," she said to him with a smile, still keeping her light hold on Shino's arm. He knew that the public displays of affection were all for the mission, but her constant touching made him uncomfortable. He was aware that if they were supposed to appear as a man and a hired girl they would be required to touch, but being so close to someone… a woman, in particular, made him nervous. Rather than pull away, which was his natural instinct, he leaned closer to her and let her hold his arm. It was only what his alias, Souza Nakamura would do—no more, no less.

"It's Kurohara's feast in honor of the mountain gods," the older man said happily before taking another sip of his drink. "They do this every month."

"Are you from here?" Shino asked in an attempt to seem sociable.

"My village is further up the mountain," the old man said. "I try to get down here as much as I can for this feast. Good food, good drinks… good company," he finished with a leer at one of the girls that was serving sake. She gave him a sly smile.

"That's wonderful," Tenten said, hiding her disgust.

Thankfully, they didn't have to continue their conversation. They were interrupted with the sound of metal clanging on metal. A woman was standing very unceremoniously on top of one of the long tables with a pot and a spoon in her hands, her kimono hiked up so that she could balance above everyone else and be seen.

"Now listen up, everyone!" she exclaimed. The noise level in the large room went significantly down as heads turned to look at her. "This feast is in honor of the Kurohara mountain spirits, who look over us and ensure that we're all happy and prosperous!" A cheer came from the crowd surrounding the two shinobi.

The woman clanged her pot and spoon together once more to quiet the crowd. "Now I know that all of you have been waiting a long time for your food! And you've all been getting nice and drunk on our sake." A laugh scattered around the room. "Now, it brings me great pleasure to tell you that _dinner is served!_"

A loud cheer erupted as kitchen workers began pouring out into the hall with great platters of food. It seemed almost endless—plates of chicken, beef, pork, fish, rice, potatoes and vegetables… all of it made Tenten's head spin. She had never, ever seen so much food in her life. She wanted to try everything.

Soon, everyone was eating and drinking. Shino gave himself a reasonable portion of rice and chicken, but watched as Tenten loaded her own plate up with a little bit of everything. "Oh, this is delicious," she told him with a wide, genuine smile. If her hair had been in two buns, it would have been almost like the times when all the teams used to go out for barbeque together.

"Souza," Tenten's voice rattled him out of his reminiscing. It was strange to be called by another name.

"Yes?" He looked down at his partner to see that her eyes were focused on something, _someone_ across the room. She suddenly leaned very close, her body pressing against his side for a moment as her warm breath brushed against his ears. He very nearly blanched from the contact—his bugs whirled about under his skin like a carnival.

She seemed not to notice. "Across the room, right-hand corner by the kitchens. Do you see that guy with black hair and a green kimono?" Shino ignored his body's inconvenient reaction to her closeness and tried to focus. "He's wearing glasses," her voice came again, and he couldn't tell if his bugs were getting sick or if he just had shivers going down his spine from her tickling breath.

After a moment, he was able to see the man Tenten was talking about. He was standing near the kitchens just as she'd said, looking irritated and authoritative. He was giving orders to the kitchen servers at one moment, and then speaking to guests at the next.

Shino gave a nod to indicate that he'd seen the subject of her speech. "I saw him on the way from the bathhouse earlier."

He turned his head to face her and very nearly brushed noses with her. "Were you suspicious?" he asked quietly, a question for her ears only. He wondered why she wouldn't say something earlier if she'd found something.

"Not at the time," she replied softly, still leaning into him and looking at him with her plain hazel eyes. Her tone was sweet and soft, as if she were whispering provocative words rather than relaying important information. "But the more I look at him, the more familiar he looks."

Shino's thoughts went to the shinobi bios they'd read before embarking on this journey. They'd seen pictures of each ninja from the missing team. He couldn't quite see the defining features of the man's face, but none of the shinobi in the file wore glasses. Then again, it wasn't like it was all that difficult to throw on a pair and call it a disguise.

He silently commanded one of his bugs to fly across the room to observe the mystery man. Tenten finally seemed to notice his tension and she backed away, and he realized that he hadn't actually breathed since she'd leaned up against him. Contact like this was… unusual for him.

"Ah, it's you!" a feminine voice exclaimed, causing Shino to turn and Tenten to look up from the food she was savoring. Before them stood Suki, the woman Shino had met just that afternoon.

"Suki-san, it's a pleasure to see you again," Shino said smoothly, surprising his teammate.

"This must be the infamous Nanami," Suki said with a smile at Tenten. "I was telling your friend here how I wanted to meet the two of you earlier today. What luck we ran into each other again, hm?"

_Luck, indeed,_ Shino thought.

"Oh, Nakamura-san!" Tenten exclaimed, sounding perfectly airheaded. "I didn't know you were talking about me. Only good things, I hope?"

"Of course," Suki replied, kneeling down next to them with a jug of sake. "Have you two been able to try our sake? It really is the best."

"Oh, I would love to," Tenten gushed. "Nakamura-san? What do you think? Shall we try?"

"I don't see why not," Shino said. He never drank (in fact, he wasn't able to due to his bugs), but he knew that it would be rude to turn down a drink in this type of atmosphere. He would just have to pretend. Suki nodded and poured sake for each of them, making sure to lean in very close to Shino while she poured his cup. She stood up straight after she was done.

"Nice to finally meet you, Nanami-san," Suki said sweetly, earning a friendly nod from Tenten. Just as he thought that the painted woman was about to leave, Shino was surprised by the sudden pressure of Suki's hand on his shoulder. He forced his bugs still before they could do too much harm. She leaned in close just as his partner had a moment ago, brushing her lips against his ear.

"And Nakamura-san… if you ever find yourself alone, feel free to find me. Free of charge."

She was gone before he had time to process what that even meant.

Tenten had suddenly lost her appetite. Shino was totally still and stoic as Suki sauntered away with a tiny smile. She knew very well what she'd just whispered in his ear and she couldn't do anything for a second but stare.

After a moment she leaned in to his side, feeling the kikkai vibrate faintly without even touching him. "Was that the woman you met earlier today?"

An affirmative "Hn," was his only reply.

She turned back to her plate and ate some more rice out of obligation to finish her meal. She eyed the cup of sake before her and took a modest sip. Well, maybe two.

* * *

Later in their room, Tenten sat on the huge bed and studied the faces of the missing ninja they were searching for. Shino sat silently on the ground, meditating.

**Sachi Fujioka.**

_Brown hair. Brown eyes. Jounin rank…_

**Satoshi Yoshida**

_Black hair. Brown eyes. Jounin rank…_

**Kano Nishimura **

_Red hair, blue eyes, Chunin rank…_

She tried to make connections between the faces in the pictures and the faces she'd seen tonight at the feast. Brown hair, brown eyes… The one female from the missing team had such a plain face, she could be anybody.

Just like her.

She finally quit for the night and lifted her eyes to watch as Shino sat cross-legged on his mat on the floor. He was silent (as always) while he meditated, in quiet collaboration with his bugs.

She tried not to stare as he focused, but it was all too interesting. When she'd had to lean in to whisper in his ear his kikkai had been so obvious, almost loud. She wondered if that was how it always was.

"The man you pointed out to me," Shino began, startling her out of her musings.

"Yeah?"

"His name is Jin. He's the manager of the hotel."

_Jin. Finally, a face to the name._ "Did he do anything?"

"My kikkai report that he did nothing out of the ordinary for a man of his position."

"Oh." Well, that was useless. The more she'd looked at him, the more she'd thought he looked like one of the people from the missing team. But when they'd returned to the room, she'd compared the photos to her memory and felt foolish. Still, she'd at least hoped that Shino's bugs would pick up on something to validate her worries. "Sorry for the trouble."

He ignored her apology but went on: "However, you were right about him being suspicious. Why, you ask? Because my kikkai picked up a high amount of chakra for a civilian."

That got her attention. "How high? Shinobi-high?"

"Not quite. Perhaps he has some training, just enough to defend himself… Or perhaps he is suppressing his chakra. I do not know why."

The kunoichi sat in thought. It was possible that he was just a prepared civilian. After all, his face didn't match any of the ones in the file she'd just been studying. "Shino-san," she said slowly, wondering how to articulate her next thought without seeming pushy. "We never received a picture of the missing-nin."

"No. Our mission is to recover Suna's team, not go after a missing-nin." His voice was calm and even, but Tenten was nothing if not perceptive. She could tell that he wanted the issue to rest. He'd been clear that they weren't going to go after the missing-nin if they found him, and she was perfectly willing to obey orders.

"Of course not," she said, using the placating tone of voice she used when Neji was beginning to get irritated. "All I'm saying is, isn't it possible that a missing-nin of that rank would have a good reason to conceal his chakra level? Especially if he knew that a team from Suna had already been sent after him?"

The Aburame was silent for a moment, as if considering her words. "It's possible."

"Do you think Jin could be him?"

"I do not know. If he is the missing-nin, then he has most likely killed the team before us. We can't assume anything yet."

"If he's killed the other team, our mission is technically over," she said thoughtfully. "Do you think he's capable?"

"Tomorrow we will find out how long he's been here in Kurohara," the mission leader decided. "I also planted a bug on Suki-san.

"What?" The mention of that woman made her ears perk up.

"I also planted a bug on Suki-san."

She rolled her eyes. "I heard you the first time. What did you find out?"

"She and Jin are close."

"Just how close?" she asked, her voice heavy with implication. He looked up at her to see a smirk.

"He trusts her more than all the other hotel workers," he replied flatly, purposefully ignoring her innuendo. "However, given her role… it is possible that they… perhaps, they engage…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "They…" Tenten raised an eyebrow, knowing what he was trying to say but waiting for him to say it.

"They…?" she questioned, unable to help the grin that curled her lips upward. Was Shino Aburame, experienced shinobi, killer, and spy _afraid _to talk about sex? He looked almost embarrassed. After a moment of silence she gave up and waved her hand in dismissal. "Okay…" she leaned back onto her pillow, trying to think of what the new information could mean but too tired to come up with a plausible reason. "Wait. Why did you plant a bug on Suki?"

"I do not believe it was a coincidence that she found me earlier this afternoon and this evening."

Tenten furrowed her eyebrows. How long had he been suspicious of Suki? Why hadn't he mentioned that when he'd told her about meeting her that afternoon?

She supposed that it was his choice whether to let her in on that knowledge or not, since he was technically the mission leader and she his subordinate. She was just used to working with her own team—they weren't on a need-to-know basis with each other. They just shared information because they trusted each other.

"Tenten-san." His voice once again invaded her tired thoughts.

"Yes, Shino-san?" she said, sitting up to face toward him. He had gone from a sitting position to lying flat on his back under the thin covers of his sleeping bag.

"Have a restful sleep. Tomorrow we'll continue to observe the Inn. Perhaps we'll be able to complete your blueprint."

She shuffled the file that she'd been staring at away and into a scroll, which she hid in her luggage. "Good night," she said, slinking under the covers and closing her eyes. She silently compartmentalized her thoughts, stacking them away into neat little drawers in her mind to think about later.

She was hardly aware of the bug-user on the floor beside the bed, trying to sleep and calm his restless bugs.

* * *

He found himself awake in the very early morning hours despite falling asleep very late. The sun was barely peaking over the mountain, painting the sky a pale and misty purple. He dressed in a dark-colored yukata and stepped out onto the balcony of their small room to look out at the garden below their room.

He sighed and took off his glasses. He rubbed the area around his eyes for a moment, glad to finally have them off. He'd worn them all night for the past two nights, uncomfortable to take them off in Tenten's presence.

He knew that she wouldn't say anything. She'd felt his kikkai on several occasions already and had said nothing about it—she hadn't even reacted, which was a relief for him. He was sure that if she saw his eyes she wouldn't make a big deal out if it, but she wasn't a part of his family or his team. He just didn't know her well enough to be comfortable with that sort of thing.

Still, he could admire Tenten as a kunoichi. He'd found her to be unfailingly professional and insightful. He could see now exactly why she was successful undercover—she could speak with perfect Hiroshi dialect, could act just like she was from the country. She even _walked_ like she was from the Hiroshi Swamps. He hadn't been on nearly as many undercover missions as she had and yet she still respected him as mission leader, which he appreciated.

He turned from the garden and faced the room, his eyes unhindered by sunglasses. The morning light reached into the room, leading his eyes to his sleeping bag, to the bottom of the bed, to the woman sleeping in it.

He allowed himself to study her sleeping form for a moment—just one fleeting moment. She was sprawled out on top of the covers, surrounded by pillows and a hugging a heap of blankets. Her hair splayed across her pillow and in her satiny robe she hardly even looked like the girl he knew.

Or was it, perhaps, that he didn't know Tenten at all? He averted his eyes from the sight and looked back out to the garden, deep in thought. It didn't matter. What was important right now was their mission, one he was more confident about now that he had a little more faith in their partnership. He had to admit that he'd had worries before, but they seemed to work as an effective team so far.

He replaced his sunglasses and walked back into the room, closing the door to the balcony behind him. He grabbed a towel and made his way to the bathhouse for a soak.

* * *

Tenten was _sort of _getting the hang of tying her obi. It still looked stupid, though. Frustrated, she pulled at the silk until the knot was loose and she threw it across the room. She leaned forward and shook her hair out of its frustratingly delicate style and she combed her fingers across her scalp.

She really didn't want to have to ask Shino to help her again. For the moment, she simply wanted to twist her hair into their customary buns and wear some pants. These silly kimonos and countless layers were getting old.

She missed pants.

"That's no way to treat an obi," Shino observed from him relaxed position on the settee, eyeing the abused piece of fabric and wondering exactly how long it took the average person to learn to properly tie an obi.

It was early afternoon and they had confined themselves to the hotel room for the morning, unable to sleep until noon but unwilling to draw attention to themselves by being out and about before the rest of the town awakened.

Shino watched as she pulled the silks of her kimono together and sat down on the edge of the bed with a huff.

"It shouldn't be this difficult," she sighed, leaning back on her hands and looking up at the ceiling.

"It isn't." His reply was insensitive but not purposefully so. Still, his careless remarks were starting to get on her nerves.

"Well then, Mister Expert," she huffed, grabbing the fabric and pushing it toward him. "When did you learn how to tie an obi, anyway?"

"One of my many duties as an Aburame involves helping younger cousins learn things like this," he replied, accepting the silky ribbon from her and smoothing out the wrinkles with a careful hand. She watched as his long fingers carefully folded delicate fabric. "Excuse me if this question is too personal. How did you not learn to tie an obi before now?"

Tenten laughed a little. That was his idea of a personal question? "I just never needed to," she said with a shrug. "I mean, I can tie it, I know the basic knot. It just looks stupid when I do it myself."

"I've seen you in a kimono before now," he said, thinking of village festivals where he'd seen nearly all of the kunoichi in formal clothing.

"You have?" she asked, surprised. Of course she'd seen Shino on such occasions but he'd always looked too… well, gloomy and wrapped up in himself to notice anyone but his own team. The idea of him _noticing_ her in a kimono surprised her and flattered her at the same time, because she'd never considered herself particularly eye-catching.

"I never noticed a poorly-tied obi before," he said.

"Ah, Hinata helps me when I have to go formal," she said, plucking the obi neatly from his hands and beginning another attempt at tying. "She lets me borrow her kimonos, too."

Shino was surprised. His own teammate and Tenten were that close? He supposed it made sense since Tenten was her cousin's teammate. "Do you not have any kimonos of your own?"

"No. Not any nice ones, anyway. I'm living on a jounin's wage here," she said with a laugh, watching as his face flushed.

"I apologize," he said, adjusting his glasses and looking away from her. "That was an insensitive question…"

"No, don't worry," she replied, not feeling offended at all. She knew that Shino (just like Neji, Hinata, and many more of her peers) was a part of a large clan. They didn't really have to worry about money like she did, although she knew she'd never trade places with them. She'd rather worry about money than stress over impressing clan elders all the time. She stood up and made one last tug on her obi. "Look, I did it."

Shino looked at the knot for a moment before saying, "It looks sloppy."

If he'd been anyone but himself, he would have smiled when she let out a huge, deflating sigh.

"Would you mind, then, Shino-san?" she asked, turning her back to him and handing him the ribbon once again.

He accepted the obi and stood. She lifted her arms slightly as he tied, trying not to laugh when he tickled her sides.

"Are you hungry?" she asked as he messed with her knot.

"There are some food stalls outside of the inn that are much cheaper than the café downstairs."

"I like the sound of that," she replied, turning as he finished with her obi. "Thank you, Shino-san. I'll learn how to tie it soon."

"You'll improve with practice," he said, adjusting his sunglasses and watching as she twirled her hair into a low bun. He wasn't one to stare at women—in fact, he had been _raised_ not to—but when he caught an accidental glimpse of her long neck he couldn't help but look for longer than he should have.

* * *

They wandered together down the busy street, looking around at the souvenir stalls and food vendors.

"Dumplings?" she suggested, pointing over to a food stand. Shino nodded and let her lead the way. She ordered four dumplings; two for each of them.

They made their way to a bench that faced out into the street, a ways away from the hotel. "It's nice to get outside," Tenten sighed before taking a bit from her first dumpling. She'd felt cooped up for the last week or so, ever since they'd stopped travelling on foot. She breathed in the fresh air, enjoying the smell of the mountain breeze and fried food from the street. Shino simply nodded, but she hadn't expected him to say anything, anyway.

She had to say that as wonderful as the air out here felt, she still missed her Village Hidden in the Leaves. She stared out ahead as she ate, thinking of how the weather must be changing from summer to fall in Konoha. By the time they were through with this mission, it'd be cooler and the leaves would be changing. So caught up in her thoughts she was that she almost didn't notice a certain someone walking their way.

"Oh, Souza," Tenten said, causing him to look up at her quickly. "It's your friend, coming our way." She gave a little wave and he looked in the direction she was looking.

Suki, the woman that she had only met for the first time last night, was walking toward them, looking vivacious and voluptuous as ever in a kimono that showed off her assets. Tenten was immediately wary—how was it that this woman showed up everywhere? She could feel Shino tense up beside her.

"Nanami-san, Souza-san!" she greeted with a short bow.

"What a surprise!" Tenten exclaimed, wrapping up her extra dumpling and setting it on her lap. "How nice to see you again, Suki-san."

"Likewise," Suki replied with a low voice and a smile directed at Shino. She didn't show it, but the attention showed to her mission leader irked her. Last night it had been a one-time thing, but this was getting just ridiculous.

"We seem to keep running into each other, Suki-san," Shino said with smile that seemed almost misplaced. It was a charming, handsome smile that really had no business on his face. "What a happy coincidence."

"It _is_ happy, but not a coincidence this time," Suki said, smiling at the both of them and flipping her black hair. "I was sent by the hotel manager, actually. Jin-sama wanted me to greet the two of you formally, and invite you to a little party we're having later this evening."

Shino and Tenten's eyes met, both instantly aware that this was highly suspicious. "I love parties," Tenten was the first to speak, her silly declaration clashing with the apprehensiveness she felt inside.

"Who will be there?" Shino asked, leaning back into the bench and looking straight up at the dark-haired woman.

"Well, of course Jin-sama will be there, not to mention some of my other colleagues," Suki grinned. "Of course, there will be sake and good food. What do you say, friends?"

Tenten looked up at Shino with a smile, but really she was hoping for some sort of guidance. This was most certainly a trick, a trap of some kind.

"I don't see why not," Shino said, his voice smoother than silk. "Where will this little get-together take place?"

"Jin-sama will be hosting it in a private room by the garden. It's a beautiful view," she added, giving Shino a significant look. His lips curled up in a smile that would have infuriated the kunoichi had they not been on a mission. If she hadn't known him personally she would have suspected that he _liked_ flirting with Suki.

"We'll be there." His confident response surprised Tenten, but she simply smiled.

"How wonderful. I can't wait," she said cheerfully. "Suki-san, thank you so much."

"It's my pleasure," the other woman said distractedly, still eyeing Shino. "A servant will come to your room and take you to the party tonight. Be ready," she said with a wink at the both of them.

"Until then," Shino said, his voice as low and smooth as ever.

Suki bid them farewell and the two ninja watched as she hurried off.

After a moment, Tenten murmured, "I don't like it."

"I agree," Shino replied in a low voice, close to her ear. "I've deployed more kikkai. We'll be receiving intelligence soon, but until then I suggest we prepare."

* * *

They sat tensely in their hotel room. Tenten sat on the bed, strategically placing weapons in the folds of her kimono and in her hair. Shino sat on the floor like he had the night before, meditating and communicating with his kikkai.

With closed eyes and a focused mind, he could perceive exactly what his planted bug saw and heard. The tiny bug was hiding in the folds of Suki's kimono, dutifully looking outward and listening to everything. Like the night before, Suki did nothing out of the ordinary. She wandered the streets to find people and deliver messages from her master, Jin (nothing that had to do with him or Tenten), and flirt with customers, promising to catch up with them later in the evening when she wasn't busy.

"There is nothing that indicates that she knows our identities," Shino said eventually, focusing on what his kikkai were telling him. "I find no evidence that they know about us at all." His eyes snapped open to look up at her, though she couldn't see it through his sunglasses.

Right now they had a decision to make: they could either go to the party and hope it wasn't some kind of ambush, or leave the town right now and risk the failure of their mission. Neither shinobi were inclined to fail, but it was more than suspicious that Suki had sought them out three times in the past two days. Shino highly doubted that most guests were shown the same level of hospitality.

"If that's the case, then maybe we should go," Tenten said, securing another senbon in her hair. "We'll be prepared."

"Perhaps…" he said, thinking. He knew that the decision was ultimately his to make. As of yet, there had been no evidence that this party was anything but just that: a party. But it all seemed like too much of coincidence that Suki would be everywhere they were. Not to mention the fact that Tenten had seen this Jin just the other night.

He studied his partner from behind his glasses for a moment. As careful and calculating as he was, he hated to fail a mission. Tenten was strong fighter, he had seen it for himself on several occasions. If they ran into trouble, he had no doubt that the two of them together could escape unscathed.

"We will go to the party."

She seemed to expect this answer. "Alright, mission leader," she said with a grin, pleased with his decision to stay.

"Tenten-san," he said softly, getting her attention.

"Hm?" she asked distractedly, carefully weaving another senbon into her hair. He wondered just how many weapons she had hidden on her person. And how could she do it when her clothes were so loose and breezy? Kunoichi were a mystery to him.

Ignoring these pesky thoughts, he continued. "Suki-san mentioned that there would be sake at this party."

"Uh-huh," she replied, her deep brown eyes now focused on him, one thin eyebrow raised.

"I cannot drink. My kikkai do not react well to alcohol." A lesson learned the hard way, he remembered, thinking of the one time that he had given in to his reckless teammate's peer-pressure.

"What happens when you drink?" she asked curiously, now done playing with the senbon in her hair and letting her hands fall to her lap.

Shino cringed to remember his first and only drink of liquor. It was ten years ago… Kiba had somehow obtained (rather, stolen) an old bottle sake from his mother's cabinet at the young age of fourteen. He couldn't remember exactly what situation they were in or why, but he, Kiba, and Hinata were all down by the river in Konoha when Kiba had presented his loot.

At first, both Shino and Hinata did not approve… but the ever-charming Kiba took one small sip. Next to cave in to temptation was the young Hinata, who, with a blush, took a few sips for herself. Then, in a moment of foolishness (and perhaps with a desire to fit in), Shino took only two sips of the bitter stuff.

Kiba and Hinata were fine, if not a little bit giggly, but Shino had felt terrible, _awful_. For a few long hours he'd felt like he was moving through water, until he'd finally passed out at his family's dinner table.

He'd awoken an hour later to see the look of disappointment on his father's face. He learned then that his kikkai were completely intolerant of alcohol, and that if he'd drank anymore he would have risked killing a major portion of the bugs in his body.

"My kikkai are sensitive to alcohol," Shino replied, trying not to relive one of the more embarrassing moments of his life. "They'll die if I drink too much."

Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened. "No problem, Shino-san. I'm sure that no one will pressure you to drink here. And if they do, I'll help you." She gave him a reassuring smile and he couldn't help but feel more confident.

There was a knock at the door and the both of them were on the alert. Tenten answered the door with a smile.

"Nakamura-san, Nanami-san," Kano the attendant greeted them with a bow. "How lovely to see the two of you again. If you'll just follow me, I'll take you to the party.

* * *

The room by the garden truly did have a nice view.

Both shinobi were impressed, even as they were preparing to defend themselves in a fight if need be. The room was really not so much of a room as it was a deck. It was large, with richly-colored hardwood floors and huge glass doors that were opened to look outward toward the garden. The evening was coming quickly and everyone could admire the fireflies out in the yard.

Tenten sat close to Shino, leaning in just enough to give the appearance of touching him. She was aware now of his discomfort when it came to touching and she'd resolved to try to respect that as much as she possibly could.

"We're so glad you could come, Nakamura-san," Suki said, smiling with red-painted lips. "Please, enjoy some tea while we wait for everyone else to arrive." Tenten didn't like how Suki only seemed to see Shino when she was right there—however, it made sense. Shino—or Souza, was the paying guest. She was just along for the ride. For his part, Shino didn't seem too bothered by the attention.

There were other people attending this private get-together—mostly older men with women who were far too young for them. It seemed that most of the younger women present were being paid to escort the men.

It was encouraging to see more people at the party, because it meant that there was less of a chance that the party was some kind of shinobi ambush. He was still wary, however. He had seen too much to believe that all shinobi preferred to leave civilians out of fights. By the subtle way Tenten was tensed beside him, he was sure she had the same idea.

"I think everyone is here!" a voice drew everyone's attention to the center of the room. Suki was standing there, her hands clasped together in delight. She looked very much in charge, and it made Shino wonder if Suki had more power than the average call girl. "Everyone, tonight you've been invited to witness a spectacular performance. We have the Kurohara Mountain dancers just for you." She waved an elegant hand toward the corner so that everyone would pay attention to a group of performers. "Please enjoy!"

The room was in total silence the moment one of the performers hit a drum.

The dance had just begun.

* * *

**A/N:**

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this third chapter!

There will be some exciting stuff coming very soon, so please hang in there! Please tell me how you liked it.

_Extra Credit Question_-Is there something specific you would like to see happen in this story? I have this fic pretty much all planned out but I love to hear ideas! ;)

-Deena


	4. Drink

**A/N:**

Oh my gosh, you guys! It has been too long and I'm sorry! I have a couple excuses:

One: My internet is kind of wonky and I need a new computer.

And two: Writer's block. :(

However, I have had help! **V-quez** is wonderful! She read a few parts of this chapter and gave me some suggestions that helped me sooo much! So a great big thanks to her! I also got some awesome reviews that really kicked my butt into gear. And guess what? I've had a breakthrough! We are back in business.

I worked hard on this chapter and I hope it was worth the wait! Please enjoy. :)

* * *

The Kurohara dancers would have surely been a sight to behold if Tenten had been paying attention. In the darkened room, everyone sat in awe of the magnificent performance except for two alert shinobi—and the man who slipped quietly into the room while he thought no one was looking.

It was Jin, and Tenten recognized him easily now that she knew his name. His hair was slicked back into a black ponytail and he wore his glasses on the tip of his nose. He didn't look entertained in the least by the dance performance—instead, he stood in the corner, looking cold and calculating with his crossed arms and a deep frown.

His black eyes slid to meet hers, as if he knew that she'd been staring at him the whole time. She broke eye contact immediately. There was no real concrete evidence that he was a shinobi (much less a powerful missing-nin), but something about him disturbed her. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she felt. She leaned toward Shino a little, hoping to get his attention and direct it toward Jin.

She risked another glimpse at the dark figure in the corner. He was still looking at her, frown etched onto his face and something indefinable in his dark eyes. She looked away once more, resolving not to peer that way again.

Shino glanced down at the petite woman who had suddenly taken hold of his arm. She looked like she was enjoying the performance, but her eyes weren't focused on the dancers before them and her jaw was slightly clenched. One hand gripped his elbow and the other was discreetly reaching for her thigh, where he was sure she hid a weapon.

She was showing some signs of distress, but he couldn't identify the reason why. Before he could ask her what was going on, the last dance ended and the small crowd began clapping.

Her hand left to clap, leaving his arm empty and tingling from the bugs that resided inside.

"What a marvelous performance!" "How beautiful!" Cries of delight came from the party when the lights came back on.

She looked up at him with a smile, but her eyes gave him his answer. She ever-so-slightly nodded to the corner of the room. From behind his sunglasses, he peered over to the corner to see the man that they knew as Jin, the manager of the Main Inn.

He was staring at Tenten. For a moment his eyes met Shino's, but it took no time before he began once again to stare at his partner. After a moment, though, he seemed to get bored of the sight of her and he looked ahead.

Ah. So that's why she was uncomfortable.

Only a few moments passed before plates of food and jugs of sake were being passed around. The party was going to be in full swing now, and Shino suspected that the greatest potential for danger had passed. A logical time to attack had presented itself in the darkness, and yet no chances had been taken.

The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary had been the pervasive stares directed at Tenten—but even then, Shino supposed that she was a moderately attractive woman. Although he did not doubt that Jin deserved some scrutiny, it was not unusual for men to stare at women.

There wasn't too much time to muse over what he'd just seen. Soon, Suki was right back to where they were, chattering about how brilliant the performance had been.

"How did you like the performance?" the black-haired woman asked, taking a seat on a cushion near to them.

"It was just wonderful," Tenten gushed, a big smile on her face. It was almost as if she hadn't been so very anxious moments ago. "Kurohara is so special. We don't have anything like that in Hiroshi."

"I don't imagine you do," Suki replied. "Is Hiroshi a small town, Nanami-san?" she asked in a rare display of interest.

"Yes, very small," the kunoichi replied with a nod. "Right on the edge of a swamp."

"Oh my," Suki laughed and covered her mouth. "I couldn't imagine. Does your town see very many people passing though?"

"We're right next to a Hidden Village, so you can imagine all of those shinobi…" Suki laughed and covered her mouth once again.

"Nanami-san! So scandalous!" she exclaimed with a wave of her hand. She turned her attention to Shino.

"So, Nakamura-san. Or can I call you Souza?"

"Of course," Shino replied with a nod and a crooked smile.

"Souza," she said, seeming to relish the name on her lips. "How did you come to pass through Hiroshi?"

"I have many reasons to visit Hiroshi," he replied. "My father is a fruit merchant—he sells his products to places where fruit won't grow easily, like the Hiroshi Swamps. My business there is to oversee land negotiations. Soon I'll be taking over my father's business."

It was a lie, but Suki didn't question it. "How exciting for you! So you and Nanami-san are well-acquainted, I take it?"

"Souza-san always visits me when he's in town," Tenten said with a grin, sliding her arm into the crook of his elbow.

"That's wonderful," Suki said, no longer sounding interested in their story. "Oh, have you two had the opportunity to meet Jin-sama?"

"We haven't yet," Shino replied. "We really should pay our respects to the person who invited us to this party."

"Of course you should! Here he comes right now," Suki said happily, pointing to where her boss was. He was just finishing speaking with another small group of people from the party and beginning to walk toward them. He looked completely different from the brooding man who had stood in the corner with his arms crossed.

"Good to meet you, Nakamura-san. I'm glad you could join us tonight," he said with a warm smile. The fact that he could switch so fast from cold and collected to bright and charismatic worried Tenten even more.

"Of course. Thank you for inviting us to this little get-together," Shino replied, looking up at Jin's tall and imposing figure from his position on a cushion.

"Why don't you join us, Jin-sama?" Suki asked. "Souza-san and Nanami-san are such interesting company."

"I have some time," Jin said, kneeling to adjust a cushion. "Of course, I invite only the most interesting of guests to my parties." His eyes darted briefly in Tenten's direction. "Tell me, Nakamura-san. How are you enjoying your stay?"

"It's been excellent so far," Shino replied, sounding totally confident and cool—completely unlike himself. Tenten knew that they were undercover, but Shino acted so different that it never ceased to surprise her. "It may be one of the most extravagant hotels I've ever stayed in."

"We aim to please." Jin looked openly at the kunoichi. "And you, Nanami-san? How do you find the Main Inn?"

"It's just wonderful. Thank you so much for inviting us to your party!" she replied, smiling through her nerves. He made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight on end and she couldn't figure out why. She could feel something coming from him, something like chakra—something she couldn't quite place. She wondered if Shino could feel it too.

"I should move along," Jin said. "But help yourselves. Suki, pour them some sake." His request came out more like a firm order, and for a moment, something flashed across Suki's features—hurt? But it was gone before Tenten could see for sure.

"Of course, Jin-sama," she said with a small bow. She began to pour the drinks as he stood up.

"Our sake is excellent," he said, looking even more imposing now that he was standing. "Some say that the mountain air is what makes it unique. I urge you to try it." And then he was gone, busy attending other guests and making conversation elsewhere.

Before they could think too much about the strange appearance, Suki was offering them cups of sake. "It's true. I've tasted sake from everywhere, but this is truly the best," she said with a smile. "You'll have to tell me what you think."

A cup was poured for each of them. Tenten picked up her glass and knocked it back as quickly as she could. Before anyone could say a word, she smiled and wrapped her fingers around Shino's glass, as well.

Every time a cup was poured for Shino, she was always quick to take the cup from in front of him and drink it so that he wouldn't have to worry about feeling pressured to drink. With a discreet hand and witty conversation, she would ensure that no one would figure out why the man in sunglasses wouldn't take a drop of alcohol.

* * *

Shino and Tenten were finally left alone and free to leave the party without looking rude. They walked side by side, and even though they were alone she still clung to his arm and let him lead them to their room.

She leaned fully on his arm now, seemingly unaware of the bugs that crawled contentedly beneath her touch.

He couldn't help but feel deeply annoyed at her for the moment. Once the sake had come out, she'd begun drinking non-stop. It had started out normally enough—he knew that it would have been rude if both of them had refused a drink. However, he could not see a good reason for her indulgence.

From the moment the first drink was made, she'd been the center of attention. Every time a drink was poured for either of them, she'd been quick to grab it up for herself. She laughed and made conversation with Suki, who was more than amused by her antics. Tenten was full of jokes and wit. Even while intoxicated, she was funny and flirtatious. She spoke to other guests, to Suki, and to him, although he wasn't too keen on answering her.

She'd made a fool of herself.

When it had finally been time to go, Shino had to help her to her feet and Suki gave them a smirk.

"You're sure the two of you won't need help to your room?" the woman asked, her voice smooth as silk and filled with suggestion.

Before Shino could answer, Tenten said, "oh no, I think I'd like Souza-san all to myself tonight." She leaned in close to Suki and whispered, "He likes it when I'm a little tipsy."

Suki had been amused and had let them go without any more questions, but he still couldn't help but feel utterly embarrassed for the way she'd acted. They were undercover, but it was no excuse to let all inhibitions go.

"Would you like assistance?" he asked lowly, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. It wouldn't do to reprimand her now, but when she was sober he was planning on having a talk with her, mission leader to subordinate.

"I'm just… tired," she admitted, fighting off the sleepy, nauseous feeling that came with alcohol. It was all fun and games until she had one too many, and then she always got tired and sick. She forced her legs to keep walking—she'd make it into bed and deal with the hangover later. "I'm alright."

She straightened up so that she wasn't touching him anymore. She could sense that it bothered him, and she didn't want to step over any boundaries. Unfortunately, she overcompensated and leaned a little too far to the left and swayed.

She felt a cool arm slide across her shoulders and keep her standing straight.

"It was unwise to drink that much," he said quietly. He didn't sound angry, but the criticism still didn't feel good.

"Sorry," she sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm just really tired."

She was walking too slowly. He was beginning to feel more than irritation—he was feeling almost desperate to get into the room and end the day. Without a sound, he bent over and swept her up from her knees and carried her bridal style.

It seemed to jostle her from her lethargy. "Hey," she chirped, her face turning a bright pink—whether it was from embarrassment or the alcohol, he didn't know.

"This is faster," he said bluntly, picking up a brisk pace with her in tow. Her arms wrapped around his neck in an attempt to stable herself, but her ignored her as well as he could with his bugs going crazy beneath her touch.

Tenten had leaned on his arm enough to know that Shino's bugs liked to buzz beneath his skin, but she had never had this much contact with him. She could feel a slight vibrating wherever she touched him. Her inebriated mind wondered how it would feel to be constantly vibrating.

"How…?" before she could ask her foolish question, they were in the room and he had set her abruptly down on the bed. It was probably good she hadn't had the chance to ask about his kikkai. "Shino-san?"

"Sleep," he said, his voice low and sharp. She frowned. What was his problem?

"Uh, Shino-san. Did you want to write a report—?"

"We'll resume tomorrow. For now we must rest. Why? There is still work to be done tomorrow," he said. She raised an eyebrow, suddenly getting flashbacks of a pouty Neji.

She rubbed her eyes and frowned. "I wanted to ask you about Jin, did you see—"

"That's enough," his quiet voice cut right through her statement and her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Her surprise at his interruption drew a strange satisfaction from him.

"As mission leader, I insist that you sleep," he continued. A flash of hurt spread across her face but it was quickly hidden when she turned away from him and hauled the covers up to her chin.

"Yes, sir," she mumbled, temporarily defeated. If she hadn't been so drowsy, she would have pursued the matter further. He sat down on his mat by the bed and turned away from her to meditate.

She turned over and loosened the knot on her obi, too tired to change out of her kimono, but still desiring comfort. For now, her brain was too addled to try and reason with him or figure out what was going on inside that bug-brain. She'd had enough pouty males to last her a lifetime.

It didn't take long before she was floating away into sleep, listening carefully for the buzzing of kikkai that she swore she could still feel on her skin.

* * *

He was awake far earlier than she was, but that was to be expected. He sat outside on the balcony again to watch the sun rise, deep in thought.

The mission was going as planned, but he was beginning to feel the stress of being undercover—feeling exposed without his coats, feeling strange when he had to act the part of Souza Nakamura. Added to that was the stress of having to work with someone who wasn't apart of his normal team.

Tenten wasn't bad. In fact, she was the one person that he knew to be the best undercover. After some meditation, he'd had to admit that last night had been played perfectly. No matter how much he wanted to reprimand her for her behavior, he realized that she had done exactly what needed to be done. She'd been social and drawn attention to herself so that no one would notice that he wasn't drinking—just as he had asked before.

He was so unused to being touched, and he was frustrated with the social situations that she made look so easy. She had made remarks that had made him uncomfortable, but it had all been for the mission. He had been harsh with her because of his own anxieties.

He took a look at her from where he was. She was still lying in bed and she'd shoved the covers off—perhaps that was her habit. She'd shed the outer layers of her kimono in her sleep to avoid overheating, the outfit surrounding her and shrouding her in its silky fabrics. Her hair curled and framed her face, unbound from the pins and ties that had trapped it before.

He averted his eyes before he could think the word _beautiful_. She was too unfamiliar, too strange right now. He couldn't make a habit of watching her sleep in the early mornings. It was too awkward, too strange, and too comfortable.

He turned away once more to look out to the garden. Right now, there was the task at hand and he didn't need to be distracted.

So far, any scouting or searching they could have done had been railroaded by Suki. He frowned. She was becoming a thorn in his side. She was always there, always distracting them with parties or dinners. So far they had been able to shake her off their trail, but their efforts to find the missing Suna team were being thwarted at almost every turn.

This was surely her goal, Shino decided. Her constant presence was no coincidence.

He was also wary after last night's private dinner. Jin was probably pulling the strings, and Shino couldn't reason what his goals were. What would Jin have to do with the missing team? Shino knew for sure that he wasn't the criminal they had been after—so how was he related?

The only conclusion he could draw was that he and Tenten were not completely under the radar. They had somehow caught Jin's attention. It seemed that whoever was in charge hadn't figured out the true nature of Shino and Tenten's presence in Kurohara, seeing that they were still alive… but now the stakes were higher. They were being watched.

A soft groan broke him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Tenten sitting up in bed, pulling her untied robe together and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Shino-san?" Her voice was hoarse. "Could we close the curtain, please?"

* * *

The light streamed in from the window and cut right through her brain.

Or at least that was what it felt like. She didn't move except to cover her eyes with her arm. Waking up after a night of drinking was the worst, although she was glad to realize that this morning wasn't as harsh as some others she'd experienced.

After a few long moments, she rolled over and opened her eyes a little to see that the glass door to the balcony was open, and that Shino was outside, holding tight to the rails as he looked out to the garden.

She sat up slowly to avoid dizziness. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, thankful that her teammate was facing away. She frowned as she remembered last night.

She'd had quite a bit to drink. She silently assessed whether or not she would need to vomit, and was thankful to note that wouldn't. Her mouth was dry and her head hurt, but besides that she was no worse for the wear.

She sighed. Shino was irritated at her, for whatever reason. She knew that he had no legitimate reason to be upset with her but it still didn't feel good. She'd thought for a while as she lay in bed last night—what had she done wrong?

She couldn't help but think that she and Shino still weren't quite meshing together as a team. She liked to think of herself as a versatile and sociable person, having worked with all types of people in her career as a shinobi… but something between them was still off. It was his first time as mission leader in an undercover operation, and also the first time they had ever worked exclusively with each other. Maybe that's what the problem was. Maybe they would be able to work together more effectively with a little more time…

In the meantime, her head was pounding.

She cleared her throat to get his attention. He still stood quietly at the balcony, too deep in his thoughts to hear.

"Shino-san? Could we close the curtain, please?" He turned toward her and stepped inside, closing the curtain before standing before her in the room. "Thanks," she half-whispered, trying to avoid making too much noise.

"I see that you are awake," he stated, his voice soft, as if he didn't want to aggravate her head either.

"Uh, yeah," she said, rubbing her temples and shutting her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" The question surprised her. She'd been convinced that he was angry with her, and there he was, checking up on her.

"Um, I could be better," she replied. She wasn't going to complain if he wasn't angry with her.

"Tenten-san," he continued, adjusting his sunglasses and sitting down on the chair near the bed. "I was harsh with you last night when you did nothing. Please accept my apology."

She blinked, trying to get the wheels in her brain to start turning again. "You're… sorry?"

"Yes. Why? Because I let my personal feelings stand in the way of logic."

"Personal feelings?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

He let out a soft sigh that she could barely interpret. She'd had a lot of experience trying to read unreadable men, but sometimes Shino baffled her.

"I was uncomfortable last night at the party. Talking with Suki, Jin, and you. I am… not used to social situations." He adjusted his sunglasses, something that she noticed he did when he was tense. "At the time I thought your drinking was excessive and unnecessary. Now I realize that you chose the correct course of action."

Tenten really wasn't sure what to say. "Thanks," she started, taking the opportunity to look at his face and study his unreadable expression. "I didn't know that was what was bothering you. You should have just said so in the first place!"

"I apologize."

"It's okay," she said, leaning her elbows on her knees and summoning a smile through her hangover. His face was still stoic. "You're not used to social situations? Haven't I seen you at a few Hyuga functions?" she asked, trying to distract from the serious mood that had suddenly taken over the room.

"I have gone to keep Hinata company, yes," he replied, sitting back and folding his arms. "Kiba and I both."

"And some village festivals, too? Maybe you're a little more social than you thought," she teased.

"Once again, with Kiba and Hinata."

When she really thought about it, it was true; she almost never saw him without one or both of his teammates. Even though he was a person who seemed to prefer solitude, he would still keep his teammates company. It was… really nice of him.

"Perhaps you can relate," he said, surprising her. "I rarely see you without your teammates. I'm not sure how they are managing without you."

She was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what he meant. Had he just… cracked a joke? A twitch of his lips confirmed it and she grinned. "Gai-sensei will have to keep them in line for me," she said with a laugh. His mouth almost quirked into a real smile, but the expression was gone just as soon as it had appeared.

"Even so, forgive me, Tenten-san. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly last night."

She felt her face flush—he was being so _nice_. Since when was Aburame Shino _nice_? Maybe she didn't know him at all. "It's no big deal," she said, her tone cheerful. "And it's just Tenten."

"I use the honorific out of courtesy."

She rolled her eyes. _Duh. _"You don't call Hinata '_Hinata-san'_, do you? And I know you don't use an honorific with Kiba. We're teammates, so just call me Tenten."

He was silent for a moment, as if he was trying to analyze her words. "Then you may call me Shino," he said quietly.

"And next time there's a problem, you can just tell me, okay?" she asked gently. If they were going to work as a team, they had to trust each other.

"I doubt there will be a next time. Why? I plan to avoid all unnecessary social interactions. We will redouble our efforts to find Suna's missing team." And just like that, they were right back to business.

"I like the sound of that," she agreed. All of the parties and dinners and festivities that took place in Kurohara wore her out. "What's our next move?"

"Continued intelligence-gathering. We've been distracted by Jin and Suki, and I don't believe it's a coincidence."

"Speaking of Jin… Don't you think he's a little suspicious? Almost every time I've run into him he acts weird. Kind of creepy."

"'Creepy.'" Shino repeated, looking deep in thought. The word 'creepy' sounded odd coming out of his mouth. "He has a low chakra, but more than the average civilian."

"He's suppressing it," she replied. "He has to be. He doesn't act like a civilian." She back to last night when she'd felt something strange coming from him. For some reason, Jin really bothered her. There was just something off about him. Something wrong.

"Because he is 'creepy'?" he asked, skeptical.

"Yeah, well, he is," she said. "Don't you think? His chakra or something, it feels different."

His lips were set in their perpetual frown, the wheels turning in his mind. "I cannot say I agree with you concerning his chakra. But I do know that we should look into his activities here. Perhaps he knows our missing-nin."

"What if he did something to the team before us?"

"It is possible. I do not know."

She tapped her chin with her index finger. "Could he be an accomplice? He could be helping our missing-nin somehow."

"Hn."

"Can we even follow that lead? Are we allowed to capture him if we find him here?"

"No. We have specific instructions not to pursue him; our only job here is to recover the missing team or confirm their deaths."

"Why not?" she asked. Their orders were specific: recover the missing team and leave the criminal alone. Responsible Hokage or not, it just didn't sound like Naruto. The Naruto she knew would take any opportunity he could to take down a guy like that, so why not this time?

"I suspect the reasons are political," Shino explained. "We are here at the behest of the Kazekage, a close friend of Naruto's. While they may need help, they do not want to appear weak. They are still building their strength as a village. Perhaps Naruto wishes to give them room to grow. Perhaps he doesn't wish to overstep his bounds." It sounded pretty thoughtful for Naruto, but Tenten knew that the blond had grown in leaps and bounds over the years.

"It's getting pretty difficult to investigate the missing team, though. Especially when the missing-nin probably has everything to do with _why_ they're missing," she said with a frown.

"No matter," Shino said. "We will fulfill the obligations of our mission. For now, I suggest we continue investigating the inn. Over the next few days, we'll find out how long Jin has been here. Suki as well." His long fingers intertwined with each other as he thought, and suddenly he looked up at her. "Tenten. Can you speak to anyone on the staff without arousing suspicion?"

She nodded. "Leave it to me. I already have my eye on someone." He raised an eyebrow.

"Good. From now on we must operate with more caution and avoid distractions." She could tell from the tone of his voice that he was talking about Suki.

"Alright," she said. "Well, first things first, I'm going to the bathhouse." Akane, the person who she thought could help, worked in the bathhouse. Not to mention that she was filthy. She held on to her thin under-layer of kimono together to avoid any accidental flashing as she made her way to the small bathroom. She made quick work of changing into a bathrobe and grabbing a towel. "I'll be back soon," she said, giving him a wave and smile as she opened the door.

"I will get food while you're away. Do you have any preferences?"

She stopped in the doorway. "Something mild?" she asked with a nervous smile. Shino nodded and she continued on her way.

* * *

Tenten walked quietly toward the bathhouse, enjoying the quiet morning despite her headache. Kurohara seemed to be a nocturnal place, awakening at night for parties, drinking, and dining.

She had a plan. While a huge motive for going to the bathhouse involved actual bathing, she wanted to find Akane once again. When she'd first arrived, Akane was the only one among the staff who had taken time to talk to her. She seemed sweet—maybe even a little naïve. Tenten didn't feel great about it, but as it stood, Akane was the only visible option as far as intelligence went. She would probably be more open about sharing information about the people she worked with. Hopefully she would know something useful.

She would stay in the bathhouse and relax, but at the same time she planned on searching for the other girl. Once she found her, she would give her a great big smile and get ready to charm her pants off.

She was close to the bathhouse, but before she could cross the doorway into the larger room she stopped. She felt something… like it was niggling at the back of her mind. It was a feeling on her back, as if someone was watching her.

She slowly turned, trying to look casual as she took in her surroundings. There was nothing, no one. The building was quieter than ever. Feeling spooked, she continued on her way to the bathhouse. As far as she could _see_, there was no one. But years of training had attuned her to feelings and instincts. Even if she wasn't able to see anything, she knew that for a moment, someone must have been there, watching her.

* * *

**A/N:**

End of chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I am always open to suggestions. :)


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